CPI-M for Left unity, to counter smaller allies

Coimbatore, March 31 (IANS) The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) is all for Left unity, but it wants its members to counter its smaller but vocal allies “politically and ideologically”. The CPI-M has admitted in its organisational report that its ties with the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and Forward Bloc soured over the takeover of farmland for industry in Nandigram in West Bengal.

“The differences and strains in Left unity developed (over) the events in West Bengal… The RSP, Forward Bloc and the CPI (Communist Party of India) began taking a different stance,” said the report, being discussed at the 19th party congress here.

“The party’s stance has been that the differences should be discussed and settled.”

At the same time, the CPI-M, which leads the Left block that extends crucial support to the Congress-led government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, wants its cadres to counter the stand taken by the smaller leftwing parties.

“The stand of the RSP and the Forward Bloc on a number of issues needs to be countered politically and ideologically,” says the report.

The Nandigram violence and the industrialisation policies adopted by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya have created a rift in the otherwise monolithic ruling Left Front in West Bengal.

This has even sparked clashes in the state between CPI-M activists and workers of RSP and Forward Bloc. The Forward Bloc broke away from the Left Front in Tripura and contested assembly elections there on its own.

The report pointed out that the RSP and the Forward Bloc had decided to oppose the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) policy despite the Left’s decision to submit a note proposing amendments to the government.

The report added: “After the Nandigram issue, all over the country, there was confusion and misgivings among the Left-minded intellectuals and supporters.”

However, the organizational report says that the Left parties have maintained unity at the national level.

“The coordination between the Left parties has increased substantially since the Left decided to support the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government,” it said.